Cattle-tag.



CATTLE TAG.

Prucmon min :un: l. mi.

2 SHEETS-SNIEY l- Jacob Scha 1,249,515; v V Pmnanwlmmn l 1,. SCHAUB.

CATTLE TAG.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE l ISIG.

` Y 2 SHEETS-'8Min' 2.

Jacob'schauz Arron/vers 1,249,151 5. Pmnted Dec. 11, 1917.

to the operation of aflixing said tag to the animals ear, the tag being shown in position upon the jaw.

Fig. 7 is a sidel elevation with parts in section with a View to showing` more clearly the tag retaining means pf the implement.

Fi 8 is u cross section on the line 8-8 0f Fig. 7 through one juw of the tool. the tag being omitted.

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section through one jaw of thef'tool, on the line 9-9 of 'he metal tag A, shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, consists of a single piece of metal doubled or folded so as to produce inenibers A, B and a prong C. The member A is provided near onevend with a transverse slot a. adapted to receii'e an end portion of the prong C when the latter is forced through the animals ear and is clenched againstthe outer face of said member A, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2.

The prong; 1 is formed on the free end of member B by bending the metal, the turn 0l' corner at the bent portion being indicated at b. The prong C is smooth on the rear lface thereof, as at c, but the metal on the front face of said prong is distributed in the operation of the dies which fashion the tag so that the prong is tapered and well defined webs or ribs d are produced on said front face. The taper of the prong C is indicated quite clearly in Fig. 1 of the drawings, by reference to which it is apparent that the metal of said prong decreases in thickness toward the free 'extremity, whereby the point e of the prong constitutes practically a cutting edge so that the prong will readily penetrate and 40 pass through the flesh of the ear. The webs the cutting edge, an

.or ribs d on the front face of the rong diverge from the longitudinal axis o said prong toward the side edges thereof, and thus said front face of prong C. is characterized by a recess or depression indicated at f. The disposition of the metal herein shown and described serves two purposes: first, the prong is tapered so as to produce second, the metal of the prong' is stiiened by the presence of the ribs or webs so that the prong remains intactand will not become bent or deflected out of positionduring the operation of applying the tag to the ear.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 the bent portion b of the metal is reinforced or stayed bythe side flanges g which extend from a point of member B Well toward the rear of the bent corner b, thence around said bent corner and` thence downwardly along the prong C to a point o posite to the dverging webs or ri s d. he side flanges 'g member B, but these flanges are adapted to coperate with a rib of one jaw of the implement shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, whereby the tag when initially positioned within the instrument is retained against sidewise dis lacement, as will be hereinafter describe Another embodiment of the invention is shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, wherein the tag consists of members A, B, and prong C, the latter having the peculiar construe.- tion hereinbefore described with a view to imparting'the desired taper in the thick ness of the prong and reinforcing said prong so as to prevent bending thereof out of ahned relation to the slot a in the mem ber A when the tag is alixed .to the animals ear. In the form shown in Fig. 5 the metal between the prong C and member Bis cut away at il, the side flanges g being omitted and, furthermore, the outer face of the tag is recessed at i so as to receive data for identifying the animal, such as the name of he owner, or a particular brand, or a numer. Fig. 5 is similar to the tag shown in 4. he implement for athxing the tag is' shown more particularly in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, said construction being intended more particularly as an improvement upon the device disclosed in Patent No. 661,598, granted Nov. 13, 1900 to Callison and Bing, the ownership of which patent and of the present invention is vested in the saine party. As shown, the implement embodies crossing jaws D, E, provided with handles D', E', respectively, and pivoted by a pin F, around which pin is coiled a spring G, the end portions of which are positioned within channels of the handles so as to be concealed from view. The movement of one jaw and handle relative to the other jaw is normally arrested by a stop pin J and when the handles are pressed together the movement of the jaws toward each lother is arrested by another stop pin. j', see Figs. l. and 2. As in the Patent 661,598 the jaw E is provided with a curved recess and with a shoulder k at one side of the recess. The other jaw'y D is formed with a rib l, the same being ipressed ont of the metal in the operation o' lblanking n p the stock to produce jaw D and its handle D. The rib `elite-nds longitiulinally of the jawr D' for a part of -the length thereof, the. lwidth of said rib beinglcss than that of the jaw, as shown in Fig. 3. The rib presents two well defined shoulders intermediate the widthv of the jaw and extending lengthwise thereof.

W'hen the tag is to be applied to an ear, the jaws I), E are in the operi positions of Fig. l, and the tag is placed intermediate` the 'aws for the. member A to rest upon jaw 4, with an end portion ol .said member A in contact with the shoulder c and with ln all other respects the device of the slot n, over the recess is, but the other member B of' the tag occupies such relation to the jaw D that the rib Z ot' said jaw l) [its snugly in the Ispace between the side ribs f/ of said tag, wl'iereby the rib Z and the flanges g'efkiperate in retaining the lag in position between the jaws. When thus positioned the tag cannot be displaced sidewise during,r the manipulation. of the implement, and this is an important feature because an unruly animal will seek to escape, so that the operator is not able.A at Iall times to hold the instrument and the attached tag in position when an opportunity presents itself to apply the tag.

There is snllicieut space between the end of the prong and member A to introduce the earand when the tag is in position il. is only necessary for the operator to press the handles D', E togetl'ier, whereuponthe prong is forced through the cnr and the free end of 'said prong passes through the slot aso as to be deflected by the curved bottoni of thercccss le, thus upsetting or clenching the end' 0f the prong against the slotted member -A, after which the imple- 1nentis opened und easily withdrawn from the attached tag.

The implementshown in Fips. 1, .2 is 'constructed with a back gage upon the lower jaw E thereof, said back gage being formed Vbending upwardly the metal of ythe jaw at the rear 'of that flat face of said jaw the forward part of which is formed "with the recess lc. Said back gage, I is positioned on the jaw E forwardly of the piv. ota-I connection F between the jaws, and said gage is curved upwardly from the flut face of the jaw, the curvature of the gage correspondingto the bend in the metal of the tag formed by the members A, B, thereof. lVhen the tag is in position upon'the flat face of the jaw E, the heel or rear bent portion of said tag'is in contact withI the back gage, 'see Fig. 2,.and thus the gage I ositions--thetag with precision `upon 'th'e Jaw- E and more particularly with res ect to the slot a inthe tag to therecess of jaw E. i

It is' found in practice, however, that there 'may be, and frequently is, a variation in the length ofthe slotted member A of dit ferent tags, dueto the action ofthe dies in bending tliemetal which compose the tags, and, accordingly, the back gage I on the jaw E does not at alltimes cooperate with the different tags that. the slots a in said tags are in proper register with the recess le 1n the jaw To remedy this, provisionis in ade inthetool as in Figs. 6. to 9 inclusive whereby theV slotted'part of' the' ta brought into register'with the recess o the jawdue tothe use of a nojection on the jaw 1a-lering into the slot a of the tag, as a result of which each tag is brought and rewardly from (he l'zn'iol' llninw li, the f .saine hein; Ir arranged close 1o [Inl recess in fact. the harltwall nl' the rar or lnpr .l .is Continuous with the wall of (he recess r` as shown more clearly in Figs. and l), said continuous wall hciugrurri-l in oriler that the point c of the prong will .strik-e the rear curved wall as said point enti-rs (ho slot (L of lhc tag, whereby the Iii-inlinpr of. the point commenta-s innm-liatelr alter y aid point passes through the Ilrsh olA the aniinals ear. ',lhe ezrr or lug vl is forwardly` ol' the recess c, and as Ishown said enr or lu; r is' lproduced by upsettingY the metal ol' the jaw,

for which purpose the jaw in l'ront ol' lhe enr is perforated as :if in orilcr lo .supply the. lnelal required to form the enr or lug at the required place.

In using the tag?r in ronneelion with the implement, said ta f is placed upon the jaw E, with the heel o' the tag in contact with the back-gage -I and with the. ear or lug .l extending inlo (he slot a. of'said'tagr, the upper forward parl. of-the'tap,r heilig in rontact with jaw l), wherebythe lug! or ear J with or without the back. gage l retains' the tag in connected relation to the iinplement, and in proper position therein against a tendency of the tag to work out of position when the latter is held by the h and in any position. When Ithe handles of the implement are pressed together, the prong C is forced through the flesh of the ear, the point e if-said prong entering the slot a, at which time the extremity of the prong strikes the curved face or wall con tinuous with the recess c and lug J, so that the point is deflected as the point passes through the slot a, such delleetion of the oint heilig continued by contact. with thcace of the recess la during the application of pressure to the handles ofthe implement,

as a result of which the prong is quickly and effectively clenched againstmcmber A of the tag. A

In the preferred form of the tag shown in Figs.4 1, 2 and 4, it is characterized by the employment of stay ribs or flanges g extending in two directions away from the bend b which joins the prong C -to member B, said ribs or llanges q being positioned at the respective side edges of the tag. Experience shows that a tag 4without these stay ribs as in Fig. 5 is subject to serious "objection when bending the tag for the rea son V that theJ pressure applied to the tag is liable to, and -elften does, force theprong forwardly so that the point e of the prong will net eriter slot a, hence the prong is not a prong, the metal on the face clenched against the outer face of member A and the tag is inseeurely attached to the animals ear. Such premature or improper bending ofthe prong at the bend Z) where it joins member B4 is wholly precluded by the stay ribs g extendin r as described in two directions from the lbend b, and, accordingly, said ribs g constitute an important improvement which I have made in tags of the class described.

' No claim is made herein to the tool or implementadapted to aiiix the tag to the ear of an animal, for the reason'that said tool or implement forms -the subject matter of a divisional application filed by me August 30, 1'916, Serial No. 117,687.

Havinv thus fully described the invention what I c aim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A cattle tag bent from a piece of metal and comprising a plurality of members and of said prong being distributed to produce webs which are vpositioned intermediate the side edges-of the pron'g 'to produce a channel between the webs, said prong tapering in thiclmess below the webs and sald webs operating asfstays in reinforcing the metal in order to .preclude face of said prong being deflection of the prong by the resistance encountered when afiixing said tag.

2. A cattle tag comprising a member Aprovided with n slot, a second member, and a prong extending at an angle to said member, lsaid prong being tapering so as to decrease in thlckness toward its free end or point, the metal on one face of said prong being Adistributed to produce webs which diverge relativelto each other and result in a recess ex- .tendlng to the` pointed free end of said prong.

3. A cattle tag comprising a slotted memlier, a second member, and a prong' extending from said second member towardV the slot in the first named member the metal on one distributed to produce integral webs which diverge substantially with respect to the axial line of the prong, -said .diverging webs being relatively spaced lo formV an intermediate channel and said prong being tapered and provided with a cutting edge below said diverging webs.

4. A cattle tag comprising a member provided with a slot, a second member, a prong bent from the second member and extending toward the slot in the first member, the metal on one face of the prong being distributed to produce integral webs which' are spaced to form a channel, and stay ribs positioned at the side edges of the tag, said stay ribs extending around the bend at which the prong joins the second member und said stay ribs projecting beyond the plane of said integral webs and beyond the face` of the second member.

5. A cattle tag comprising two members and aprong bent from a piece of metal, one of said members having 'a prong-receiving slot and the other member and the prong beingprojfided at the side-edges thereof with stay ribs each extending in-two directions from the corner of the bend and each stay rib projecting from the plane ofA the exposed faces of the prong and the member of \which it forms a part, whereby said stay ribs each of .which extends from a point'intermediate the length of the prong to a point in` termediate the length of said member whereprovidediiit the i respective side edges thereof with ribs -by each stay rib is continuous at and beyond the line of bend where member.

In testimony whereof I have hereuntov signed my-nam` f JACOB SCHAUB.

the prong joins the 

